What is the purpose of prophecy?
Like us, God has plans. In fact, the Bible tells us God doesn’t do anything unless He reveals it to His servants the prophets.
Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
Sometimes events don’t go according to our plans. But what about God’s plans? Does God have the power to bring His plans to pass?
Isa 44:6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
Isa 44:7 And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, [God challenges anyone to declare the future.] Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them.
Isa 44:8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ “
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning [foretelling the future], And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’
Only God can determine what will happen in the future. In these few verses that we have read, God is telling us three things:
- God has a plan for the future.
- God reveals that plan through prophecy.
- God has the power to make it happen.
What is the purpose of prophecy? Why has God put prophecy in the Bible? Why has God told us His future plans? What purpose does it serve?
Ultimately, like everything else in the Bible, the purpose of prophecy is to lead mankind to repentance and salvation. But what if we want more detail than that? Biblical Prophecy can be divided into four categories:
- Pre end time prophecy (fulfilled prophecy)
- Fulfilled end time prophecy (fulfilled prophecy of events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ)
- Unfulfilled end time prophecy (unfulfilled prophecy of events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ)
- Millennial prophecy (unfulfilled prophecy of events after the return of Jesus Christ)
Let’s take a look at each of these categories in turn.
1. Pre end time prophecy (fulfilled prophecy)
The Bible contains fulfilled prophecies which were written many years before they were fulfilled. They show that God wrote those prophecies. What purpose do they serve?
a) Fulfilled prophecy is a proof that the Bible is true. It is proof that the Bible is indeed the Word of God; that the Bible is a message from our Creator, and as such has authority in our lives.
b) Fulfilled prophecy tells us that God is in control. Fulfilled Prophecy is proof that what we read in Isaiah 44 is true, that God determines what will happen in the future. God determines what will happen in the future; not man, not the devil, not the roll of some cosmic dice, but God and God alone determines what will happen in the future.
What are some examples of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible?
1.1. Example of fulfilled prophecy: Tyre
Tyre was an ancient prosperous coastal city. Part of it was on the mainland and part on an island. Ezekiel chapter 26 contains a detailed prophecy about her fate. Ezekiel was a contemporary of Daniel, who lived about 600 BC.
Eze 26:1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, [585 BC] that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Eze 26:2 “Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’
Eze 26:3 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations [not just one but many] to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. [Wave after wave of invaders.]
Eze 26:4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.
Eze 26:5 It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord GOD; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations.
Eze 26:6 Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’
Eze 26:7 “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people.
King Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605 BC to c. 562 BC. History records that Nebuchadnezzar demolished mainland Tyre, but he didn’t destroy the island of Tyre.
Remember that verse 3 said that many nations would come up against Tyre. The following verses give more detail of that.
Eze 26:12 They [other nations] will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water.
Eze 26:13 I will put an end to the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more.
Eze 26:14 I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken,’ says the Lord GOD.
Eze 26:19 “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring the deep upon you, and great waters cover you,
Alexander the Great lived from 356 BC to 323 BC. He built a causeway from the mainland to the island and then broke down the walls of New Tyre and destroyed it.
The prophecy about the destruction of Tyre was written c 600 BC. It was partially fulfilled not long afterwards by king Nebuchadnezzar, and further fulfilled a little over 200 years later by Alexander the Great. Some of the ruins of the ancient city of Tyre can still be seen today. They are now a UNESCO heritage site.
1.2. Example of fulfilled prophecy: Alexander the Great and the Grecian Empire
The prophet Daniel lived about 600 BC and so the book of Daniel was written about 600 BC. Daniel chapter 8 describes a male goat (Alexander the Great) attacking a ram with two horns (the Medo-Persian Empire). This prophecy about Alexander the Great was made over 200 years before he was born. It is well known that Alexander the Great defeated the Persian King Darius III and conquered the Persian Empire in 331 BC.
Dan 8:5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
Dan 8:6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.
It is well known that when Alexander the Great died, he left no son to succeed him. Instead four of his generals divided it between themselves. This too was prophesied in the book of Daniel.
Dan 11:3 Then a mighty king shall arise [Alexander the Great], who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
Dan 11:4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven [his four generals], but not among his posterity [his offspring] nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
1.3. Example of fulfilled prophecy: Kings of the North and South – Daniel 11
Daniel chapter 11 contains an incredibly detailed prophecy of ongoing battles between the king of the North and the king of the South. It covers the period from Alexander the Great through to Antiochus Epiphanes 168 B.C. in incredible detail. The king of the North was the Seleucid Empire in the region of Syria, and the king of the South was the Ptolemic Empire in the region of Egypt. No man could have written such a detailed prophecy that came to pass. It must have been written by God.
These are just some of the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible which were written many years before they were fulfilled. That shows God wrote those prophecies. The fulfilled prophecies in the Bible are the real proof the Bible is God’s word.
1.4. Example of fulfilled prophecy: Messianic Prophecies
There are about 50 prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah, some of them very precise, which were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. In the New Testament we find numerous occasions where it says something like: “and this happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet so and so.”
The 50 or so prophecies about Messiah foretold:
- the lineage of the Messiah, that He would be a descendant of king David.
- the Messiah would be preceded by a messenger, an Elijah type figure.
- the Messiah would come at a particular time, be born of a virgin in Bethlehem, and live in Nazareth.
- the Messiah would heal the sick, give sight to the blind, be praised by children, and preach in parables.
- the Messiah would be rejected, hated without a cause, and betrayed by a close friend for 30 pieces of silver.
- the Messiah would be silent before his accusers, be hit and spat upon, be reviled and have lots cast for his garments; that He would have his hands, feet and side pierced and not have one bone broken; that He would die with criminals, but be buried with the rich.
- the Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin and be raised to life and exalted to God’s right hand.
Why are there so many detailed prophecies about the Messiah? Like the other fulfilled prophecies in the Bible, they are proof the Bible is God’s word. There is, I believe, another very important purpose for the Messianic Prophecies. The people at the time of Jesus Christ were expecting the Messiah, but there were imposters, e.g. Theudas and Judas of Galilee. These men are mentioned in Acts 5.
Act 5:34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.
Act 5:35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men.
Act 5:36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.
Act 5:37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.
Act 5:38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;
Act 5:39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”
Imagine being a Jew living in the land of Judea shortly after the death of Christ. Imagine that some man comes into town and starts telling you about this Jesus of Nazareth and that he was the Messiah. How could you determine if this was not just another imposter just like Theudas or Judas of Galilee? You know the Old Testament Scriptures. So when eye witness accounts describe the Messiah’s life, his lineage, where he lived, how he healed the sick, how died and so forth, you would recognise that this man Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled all these prophecies in the Old Testament. If the Old Testament did not have the 50 or so prophecies about the Messiah there would be no way of knowing that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. Without the prophecies in the Old Testament we could not know that Jesus of Nazareth, was indeed who He claimed to be, the Son of God.
Jesus used the prophecies of the Old Testament to show people who He was. He did it at the start of His ministry. When Jesus started His ministry He read from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue.
Luk 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Luk 4:17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
Luk 4:18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED;
Luk 4:19 TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
Luk 4:20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
Luk 4:21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus used the prophecies of the Old Testament to show people who He was when John the Baptist wanted to know who He was. When John the Baptist was in prison he wanted to know for sure if his cousin Jesus Christ was the Messiah. John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus.
Mat 11:2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
Mat 11:3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Mat 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
Mat 11:5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Jesus could have just replied, “Yes”, but He didn’t. The things Jesus listed, the preaching of the gospel to the poor, the healing of the sick are the very things that were prophesied the Messiah would do. Jesus pointed John to Scripture. Jesus pointed John to the prophecies which identify the Messiah. Jesus used the Scriptures to show John who He was.
Jesus used the prophecies of the Old Testament to show people who He was. He did it at the start of His ministry. And He did it again when John the Baptist wanted to know who He was. In both occasions Jesus pointed to Old Testament prophecies. The Gospel writers also point the reader to the prophecies of the Old Testament, to identify that Jesus was the Messiah. That is why they write “and this happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet so and so.”
So, a very important purpose of the Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament is to identify that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. The 50 or so Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament were fulfilled by Jesus Christ, thus showing that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
End time prophecy
Let’s move on to the next two categories, fulfilled and unfulfilled end time prophecy. End time prophecy should create in us a sense of urgency. An urgency that should spur us on to draw close to God and produce good fruit.
Jesus Christ instructs us to watch.
Mat 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
The Greek word for watch means be vigilant, keep awake, so this verse is saying:
Therefore keep awake, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The same message is also given in the parable of the fig tree.
Mat 24:32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
Mat 24:33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
Being aware of end time prophecy helps to watch and keep awake spiritually.
2 Fulfilled end time prophecy
What are some of the end time prophecies which have already been fulfilled?
2.1. Example of fulfilled end time prophecy: Running to and fro and Knowledge shall increase
The book of Daniel foretells two remarkable things at the end of the age: mass transportation and the increase of knowledge.
Dan 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
With the invention of motor cars, trains, and planes, mankind has been running to and fro like nothing before. There are thousands of planes in the air at any time. Where are these millions of passengers going? They are going “to and fro”.
Human knowledge has been increasing at a phenomenal rate. A man named Buckminster Fuller created the “Knowledge Doubling Curve”; he noticed that until 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the end of World War II knowledge was doubling every 25 years. Today human knowledge is doubling about every year.
I think it is fair to say that Dan 12:4 has been fulfilled and is continuing to be fulfilled.
2.2. Example of fulfilled end time prophecy: Instant mass communication
The Bible also foretells of instant mass communication. Everyone will see the dead bodies of the two witnesses. The two witnesses of course appear right at the end, so this is an end time prophecy.
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
This was made possible a number of years ago by the invention of television, but also in more recent years by the invention of the smartphone and the internet. You can be anywhere in the world that has WiFi or mobile phone coverage and you can watch the news on a smartphone that you can carry in your pocket. That is probably how everyone will see the dead bodies of the two witnesses.
2.3. Example of fulfilled end time prophecy: Population explosion
The Bible also foretells of a vast world population at the time of the end.
Rev 9:16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.
This is a massive army of 200 million. A massive army requires an even more massive population. This prophecy was written 2000 years ago when the world population was about 300 million. World population in 2020 was about 8 billion people. If you estimate that a country can draft about 20% of its population, then today, China alone could raise an army of about 300 million men. We don’t yet see an army of 200 million men, but the current population of the earth could easily supply it.
2.4. Example of fulfilled end time prophecy: Ability to destroy all human life
The Bible foretells that mankind will be able to destroy all life on earth at the time of the end. Jesus Christ said this when talking about events at the end of the age.
Mat 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
The atomic bomb was first used in 1945. The first such bombs could only destroy a small city. Hydrogen bombs today are more than 1000 times more powerful than the first atomic bombs. It is estimated that there are over 20,000 of these bombs in the world today, which is more than enough to destroy all the land surface of the earth. For over 50 years mankind has had the ability destroy all life on earth.
We’ve just covered four prophecies about the end time that have been fulfilled. We are living at the end time. This should create in us a sense of urgency and a need to draw close to God.
3. Unfulfilled end time prophecy
If we are staying alert and keeping watch, and hopefully we are, what are some of the end time prophecies which we should be watching for?
3.1. Example of unfulfilled end time prophecy: Abomination of desolation and an end to daily sacrifices
The Bible foretells a future abomination of desolationand an end to daily sacrifices.
Mat 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
Mat 24:16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
What did the prophet Daniel say about this “abomination of desolation”? Daniel wrote that “the daily sacrifice [will be] taken away, and the abomination of desolation [will be] set up”.
Dan 12:11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.
It happened in 168 B.C., when Antiochus Epiphanes entered Jerusalem and desecrated the temple by sacrificing a pig to the Greek god Zeus and stopping the daily sacrifices. But there is clearly an end time fulfilment because Daniel describes the abomination of desolation and the stopping of the daily sacrifices occurring at “the time of the end”.
For the daily sacrifices to stop, they have start. The daily sacrifices haven’t started yet, so we can watch for this. What about the future abomination of desolation? It will almost certainly be something similar to what Antiochus Epiphanes did. So, we can watch for this too.
3.2. Example of unfulfilled end time prophecy: Kings of the north and south
As mentioned earlier, Daniel 11 gives a long and detailed prophecy about two powers: the king of the North and the king of the South. The prophecy starts at the death of Alexander the Great when his kingdom was divided between his four generals. Towards the end of the chapter the prophecy focuses on the end time.
Dan 11:40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him [the king of the North]; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.
Dan 11:41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.
Dan 11:42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
Dan 11:43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.
These verses are talking of a future conflict. The king of the South shall push against the king of the North. Who are these kings and what nations do they represent? It may not be possible to know now, but when it happens, if we are awake, we will recognise it. There will be a war in which the Holy Land is invaded and occupied as well as Egypt and Ethiopia.
If history is an indication of the future, then this clash between the kings of the North and South is probably a clash between Islam and the West. In AD 732 Muslim armies pushed as far north as half-way up France. Nearly 800 years later in AD 1529 Muslim armies pushed as far north as Vienna, Austria.
Could the prophesied push by the king of the South against the king of the North be something similar? Certainly, this future conflict between the kings of the North and South is something to watch for, and of course the future invasion of the Holy Land and Egypt.
3.3. Example of unfulfilled end time prophecy: The man of sin
The apostle Paul wrote of a future “man of sin” who will “sit as God in the temple of God”.
2Th 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2Th 2:2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
This pompous man of sin, who exalts himself above God, will live right at the end of the age, because Jesus will destroy him at His coming.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
The future appearance of this man is something to watch for. But what else does the Bible say about him? Rev 13 describes a beast with two horns who speaks like a dragon. This is almost certainly the same man.
Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
A lamb is symbolic of Jesus Christ and a dragon symbolic of Satan. Therefore, this beast is a powerful religious authority who seems to represent Christ, but in reality represents the devil.
Rev 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
The first beast has seven heads and ten horns and represents the Roman Empire with its various resurrections. So, this religious authority causes people to worship this resurrected Roman Empire.
Rev 13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
Rev 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth—by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, ….
He performs great signs or miracles such as calling fire down from heaven. By such miracles he deceives people. He convinces people to believe him. This is something to watch for: a great religious leader, who seems to represent Christ, and performs miracles.
3.4. Example of unfulfilled end time prophecy: The mark of the beast
You have probably heard about the mark of the beast. But what is it? Is the mark like a tattoo? Is it an electronic chip the size of a grain of rice which is inserted into your hand? Is it Sunday keeping? Is it idolatry? It doesn’t matter. We don’t need to know exactly what it is in order to watch for it. Why do I say that? Let’s continue in Rev 13:16. This passage is still talking about the beast with two horns like a lamb and who speaks like a dragon.
Rev 13:16 He [the beast with two horns like a lamb and who speaks like a dragon] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
Rev 13:17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Whatever this mark is, you must have it to be able to buy or sell. And whatever this mark is, it involves disobedience to God, because God punishes those who have it.
Rev 14:9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
Rev 14:10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation…
So, the mark of the beast must involve disobedience to God. It might involve breaking the Sabbath. It might involve idolatry, bowing down to a statue or swearing allegiance to a man. God’s people have been tested in these areas in the past. We don’t need to know what it is exactly. The point is, it involves disobedience to God in some way, and if we are watching we will know it when we see it.
We can see that some of the end time prophecies have come to pass already, and others are yet to happen. As we watch to see when prophecies are fulfilled it should create in us a sense of urgency and inspire us to stay close to God.
Is there another purpose for these prophecies of the end time? I believe there is. Living through these end time events will be terrifying. Men’s hearts will fail them in the period leading up to the return of Jesus Christ.
Luk 21:25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
Luk 21:26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Luk 21:27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
If God hadn’t told us in the pages of the Bible that these things are going to happen, then I think our hearts would fail us too. But God has told us. The end time prophecy will help God’s people who live through this. When God’s people see these terrible things happening at the end, they will know the return of Jesus Christ is imminent. Their hearts won’t fail them, because they know that a better age is about to be ushered in.
End time prophecy should create in us a sense of urgency and inspire us to stay close to God. But also, for those of God’s people who live right at the end, the end time prophecy will help them live through it.
4. Millennial prophecy
The last category of prophecy is millennial prophecy. These are prophecies about the millennial (one thousand year) reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
Rev 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
Rev 20:3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
There are too many millennial prophecies to list here. They are found in Psalms. About 1 in 10 Psalms contains millennial prophecies. Millennial prophecies are found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, the Minor Prophets, and parts of the New Testament including Revelation. These prophecies give us great hope. We know that there is a tremendously bright and happy future ahead of us in the Kingdom of God. They give us hope and strength to finish the race, to stay the course, to remain faithful to God to the end.
In conclusion, what is the purpose of prophecy?
- Fulfilled prophecy is a proof that the Bible is true. It tells us that God is in control. A very important purpose of the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament is to identify that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
- End time prophecy should create in us a sense of urgency and inspire us to stay close to God. The end time prophecy will help God’s people who live through it.
- Millennial prophecy gives us great hope of the wonderful future ahead and the strength to remain faithful to God to the end.